Phil Ivy’s Edge Sorting Partner Makes It To The Movies

Phil Ivey’s infamous edge sorting partner, Cheung Yin Kelly Sun is back in the headlines. This time for less nefarious reasons than cheating casinos out of millions. Rather, we can soon expect to see Kelly, or rather her character on the big screen, as the producers of Crazy Rich Asian come together to tell a version of her story.

Kelly Sun, The Baccarat Queen

Ivanhoe Pictures and Sharp Independent have come together to tell the story of Kelly, based on an article titled The Baccarat Machine published online in 2017.

The article details her gambling education, the plays she put on casinos, and as the grand finale, her spree with Phil Ivey, which ended at the Borgata. A well-known player in Las Vegas and Macau, Kelly has an uncanny ability to sort card edges, known as edge sorting.

The movie, The Baccarat Queen, tells the story of the daughter (Kelly) of a rich factory owner in Hong Kong. The owner, now deceased, funded his daughters travels, during which she was able to learn and perfect how to edge sort. Kelly makes millions playing Baccarat using the technique.

However, a stint in prison for an unpaid marker leads Kelly’s character to seek revenge on the MGM group that put her there. Targeting its properties, such as the Borgata and winning millions from the group are all part of her revenge.

The film, which does not have a release date as yet, will be produced in English and will be available to global audiences. There have been no details as to whether or not Kelly may have a cameo part in the film, or if Phil Ivey will use the opportunity to earn some of the money he still owes the Borgata.

Not Far From the Truth

The story doesn’t stray far from the truth. Kelly was in fact arrested in 2007, after signing a marker for a friend, which was never paid. She spent 20 days in prison before her father could bail her out. During her stay, her mentor Steven Black, the man who taught her to beat the casinos, dropped off a deck of cards and told her to practice, and it paid off.

It was Steven who introduced her to Ivey, before the two started on the now infamous hustle of Crockfords and the Borgata. Both wins have ended in extended litigation, which in the case of Ivey versus the Borgata, is still on going.